Lens-edging machine



} Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,532

A. E. MAYNARD LENS EDGING 'MACHI NE Filed Dec. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5| 57 9 IN-VENTOR 3i 2 Cllbe rr8. ma3nard Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,532

A. E. MAYNARD LENS EDGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR (llbergfi.magnard.

Dec. 6, 1927. I 1,651,532

A. E. MAYNARD LENS EDGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1924 3 She f s swt 5 INVENTOR (llbelgl; Z'Lma nar'd. W gTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES TION' OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LENS-EDGING MACHINE.

Application filed Dec1nber 3, 1924-. Serial No. 753,671.

This invention relates to improvements in lens manufacturing machinery, and has particular reference to a lens edging machine and an improved lens shape controlling means therefor.

In the production of ophthalmic lenses there are a number of different standard shapes used, some of which are preferred by certain people and others are also preferred in their own way. It, therefore, becomes necessary for the ordinary optical prescription shop to be able to produce lenses-of different shapes and for this purpose ordinary lens'forming machines have been equipped with a number of interchangeable steel formers, the shape of which may be imparted to the lens, The majority of such machines have been so constructed that the formers could be mounted upon the end of the lens holding carriage,'and in order to grind different shapes one former 'would have to be taken oif and another puton. This changing'of formers has necessitated a certain amount of labor which is eliminated by the present invention.

In the production of the interchangeable formers as used prior to this invention they have been so constructed that usually their major axes have been equal and, therefore, in order that the finished lens may have the required size to fit a standard frame certain tables had to be referred to and adjustments made in the-machineso that the periphery I of the finished lens would beof thedesired amount. The ordinary spectacle frames are made circular in shape and, therefore, they have to be stretched in order to accommodat an elliptical or drop eye lens. I j g From this is will be obvious thatlthe finished periphery or circumference is of vital importance 1n order that the lens will accurately fit.

The present invention contemplates the production of a plurality of formers each of a different shape but all having an equal circumference so that adjustments for different shapes or reference to tablesfwill be unnecessary.

An important object of the present invention is to providea machine which will be adapted for edging a numberof standard shapes of lenses.

Another object is to provide such a device Another object is to provide such a device with a plurality of shape controlling formers which are adapted to be bodily rotated about a definite center in order to selectively position the same. j

Another object is to provide such a device with a provision for a convenient application" of a special shaped former. I

Another object is to provide such a device with a plurality of former contact shoes which may be selectively used to produce lenses of different sizes.

Another object is to provide such a device OFFICE.

ALBERT MAYNARD; or soU'rHBRinGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN with a plurality of former contact shoes rotatably mounted for selective positioning. Another ob ect is to provide such a device wherein size and shape adjustments may be obtained positively and simply.

. lVith these and other objects in View the invention resides in the novel features or construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set. forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forminga part of-this fapplication, V j F igure 1 1s a front elevation of a lens edge grinding machine embodying the invention;

F lgure 2 1s a fragmentary top plan view thereof; i

Lil

showing the device applied to a riinlcss edgii'ig machine.

Similar reference characters designate cor-- responding parts throughout the several views. In :arrying out the invention, a tub orbase 10 of any ordinary or preferred con-- struction is provided with lit-airings Ill. in which is rotatable a shaft 19. which curriei a rindstone 13. As shown in Fif tree 1 an 2, the grind stone It? has a grooved )eriphery. as at 14, in which the edge of a lens is adapted to operate so that said lens will be bevelled for littiug into an tuihthulniic frame. On the end of the shaft 12 a pulley 15 which provides power for the operation of the various parts of the machine. said pulley being driven by a belt it; from a motor or a counter-shaft as may be desired. Disposed at one side of the base it) is a transmission housing ll" in which are mounted suitable gears which are driven by the shaft 12 and to which coiuiccted a toruardl extending intermediate drive slr! i't l8 having a llllileltftil joint ll) therein. The forward end of the shaft 18 carries a spiral gear 20 which adapted to mesh with another near 21 mounted on the forward end otthe device.

A pair of bearings and 2 at the front side of the basalt) is ada 'ited to support a longitudinal shaft 524 which carries the spiral gear 21,. members and pivotally mounted upon. the shaft 24. is a lens carriage generally use nated by the reference character 'lac carriage contains a shaft 126, at the extreinity of which a lens clamping pad 27 which is adapted to cooperate with an adjustable lens clamping member in axial. alinenient therewith. Rotary motion is illlparted to the shaft 526 through the instrumentality of a gear 99 driven from a pinion 30 on the lower shaft 2-1: and preteritbl} through an idler 31. The outer ettreni' of the lens (lttlllplllff' member 28 i uitaoly grooved as at 532 for the reception o l the forked end of the lever 33 which is :t'uleruined as at 34 and having its opposite end pivota ly connected to a spring pressed plunger :35 which is partially disposed within the carriage. The plunger 35 is Ollifilflifll through the instrinncntality of a pivoted handle member 36 whereby when the same is depressed the plunger 35 will he moved in- .wardly and the lens clamp 28 wi l be moved away from the member .\djaccnt the lower part thereof the carriage 25 carries a pivoted latch member 3? which is adapted to hook under a lip 38 for the purpose of holding the free end of the carriage in inoperative position. such as when it is desired to change lenses or when the machine is not in use.

The pinion 3O mounted upon a slcei 38) which extends through the hearing int beiand has at its outer end a clutch Disposed between the two hcariugr member 40. the said sleeve being free to rotate in relation to the shaft 24. A second clutch i'neiinber 4:11. is splined to the shaft 24: and adapted to engage the clutch member t0 so that rotary motion may be imparted front the hhflfti 24tto the pinion 30, or if desired the clutch only be disengaged so that the pinion will not rotate.

tli'ip iiorted upon the sleeve Ell) is a bracket member-lit which has an enlarged annular hcad 11st upon its upper end which is concentrio with the upper shalt or spindle :30. Au idler near to is mounted on the spindle it;

and extends into the annular housing ist, said nllcr being adapted to mesh with a plurality but so constructed. that their circi'iniferences will be equal. lit the rear side of the housinn; l t an opening it) is provided so that a selected 'toriucr it) may engage a contact shoe or back rest. that: as the spindle 2G is rotated through the {Your train prev'iousl r described synchronous motion will he imparted to the formers 4-8, and since the carriage 25 supporting the mute is pivotally inoiuitcd the spindle E'Zhwill be moved lit'lll'tiltltl and away from the grindetouc t l in accordance with the shape of the eiuragriug lforiner.

A pair of end plates 5L and 52 are dumped on the annular housing 44. and connected by the small shafts sll' as an integral rotating structure. A knurled wheel ea is attached to the plate 52 so that the same may be bodily moved and a plurality of connecting, block [ill are also provided to keep the parts in their proper alinemeot. Each of the connet-ting blocks has a recess 55') which is tltlillJtOtl to he engaged by a spring pressed plunger 56, slidably mounted in the housing);

lat and operative through the thumb latch incinber hi. Thus engagement of the plunger 56 in the recess 55 will lock the plates hi. and 52 and their associated parts in a selected position. When it is desired to use another shape controlling former which is on a glitl'crcnt shaft 47, it: is only necessary to pull out the thumb latch 57 and rotate the. former battery through the iustrunientalitv of the ltuurled wheel .53 until the proper shape is brought. into oiieralivc piisition in line with the opening ll).

'lho haw: rest i comprises a support which is mounted upon the base it] of the machine. and lltnil'lff a dove tail rib 5}) upon its upper end for the engagement of a supporting arriage (30 which is operative by u'icuns o l a screw it and knurled wheel 62. l'he carriage till is further provided with a dove tail slide-way 63 disposed at right Thus it will be seen lit) Jun

rear,

angles to the rib 59 and adapted to carry a plate 64 which is adjustable by means of a screw 65 and knurled wheel 66.

As-best shown'in Figure 5, a stepcam 67 is provided, which hasa plurality of former contact shoes 68 disposed upon its periphery,

each of said former shoes being a different distance from the center of the cam 67. The bottom surface of. the cam is further provided with a number of recesses or notches 69 of the same number as that of the shoes 68, said notches being adapted to selectively receive a post or pin 70 which is secured in the surface of the sliding plate 64. A thumb grip 71 is secured in any suitable manner to the step cam67 and the whole device is held in place upon the slide 64 by means of a screw 72 under the head of which is a compression spring 73which is adapted to force the step cam 67 against the plate 64 and hold the pin 70 in registry with'the selected notch 69. In View of the fact that each of the contact shoes 68 is a different distance from the center of rotation 72 it will be obvious that by selectively using said contact shoes a number of difi'erent sized lenses may be produced. The longitudinal adjustment of the member 60 by means of the screw 61 and wheel 62 is for the purpose of engaging. the various formers upon each of the shafts 47, and the purpose of the adjustment of the plate 64 through the screw 65 is to compensate for wear of the stone. Ordinarily in the grinding of lenses there is no adjustment of the plate 64 necessary, said adjustment only being made after the stone has worn down a certain extent.

In the use of thedevice a lens A is clamped between the members 28 and 27 and the selected former 48 is positioned in alignment with the opening 49 in the housing 44 so that the required shape will be produced. The step cam 67 is then rotated, as has been previously explained, so as to position the proper contact shoe 68 to govern the finished size of the lens, whereupon motion is transmitted through the gears 20 and 21, the

shaft 24, the clutch members 41 and 40, and

ing special adjustment 'of the operating parts of the machine. I

In the machine which has ust been described the lens A is being bevelled for the reception in a frame. However, the device may be used equally well upon any other type of lens forming machine. For example, in Figure 8 it is shown in connection with a rimless grinder wherein a plain grinding wheel 7 5 is mounted upon the shaft 12 for operation upon the lens. Except for the change in the shape of the stone the cooperation of the parts is the same in both forms' I It will be understood that the former members 48 which are enclosed within the housing 44 are each of a standard shape such as is quite frequently demanded of the different prescription shops in the optical business. It often becomes necessary to produce a lens of a special shape and; in order to provide for such necessities one of the shafts 47 is extended as at 7 5 in Figure -1 so as to be capable of receiving the special shaped former 7 6. 'This former will be se cured to the shaft 47 in any desirable ma nher so as to be rotatable therewith and itis adapted toengage anyone-of the former con tact shoes 68 as will be apparent. In this manner, provision is made for grinding both standard shapes and any special shaped lenses which n'iay be desired.

Obviously, changes may be resorted to in the minor details of construction, combina tion andarrangement of parts, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes falling within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit of the invention. While the invention has been illustrated and described for grinding the edges of lenses, it can be utilized to equal advantage for cutting lenses or cutting, edging, or shaping other objects, the preferred form being describedonly by Way of illustration.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a lens forming machine, the combination with a lens clamp, of a plurality of differently shaped formers adapted to be selectively used to control the shape of the finished lens, all of said formers having equal circumferences.

2. In a lens forming machine, the combination with a rotatable lens clamp, of a plurality of differently shaped formers, all of said formers having equal peripheries, and means for engaging a selected former.

3. In a lens edge grinding machine, a base, an abrasive wheel rotatably mounted thereon, a swinging carriage on the base adjacent the periphery of the abrasive wheel,

a lens clamping spindle carried by the carriage, a plurality of shape controlling formers mounted on the carriage, a former contact shoe disposed on the base, means for moving the formers in an orbital path so as. to position a desired one in engagement with the contact shoe, and means for rotating the selected former and the lens spindle synchronously.

formers with the contact.

able sup Jort for the lens holder, of a plurality of f ormer members rotatably mounted about the lens holder axis as a center, a back rest fixed in relation to the movable lens holder. means for rotating the former 1110111- hci's ab ut the lens holder as a center to 110%- tion a selected one in engagement with the back rest and means for S l lltlllmfltlSly to lfltlllg the lens holder and the selected torlner.

5. In combination with shaping ,merln nnisln and mechanism tor holding the article to be shaped, guide former means for controllingthe slmpe to be made, comprising; av plurality of batteries of former shapes. each battery having a plurality of formers, a tornn e1 contact ineinbci'. and means"; for engaging; any one of the formers with the contact.

6. In coinbinathin with shaping; mech anism and mechanism for holding the article to be shnpcd, a plurality of separated and unaligned fol-meishapes for controlliinz' tho shape to be made, a former contact member,

and means toaengaging any one oi the 7. In combination with shaping mecln to be shaped, a plurality of separated and unaligned ftHHlGl shapes adapted to control the nhalire to be made, a former contactinenn boil'mv ng a plurality of separated contactpointa nmns 'l'o. biinging any one of the tun-men; in alignment with a contact point, and means :l'or bringing any one of the contact points into engag g ement with the aligned toi-nicir.

8. In combination with shaping lunch aninni and mechanism for holding the article in be shaped. guide former means: for conti'ollingg' the shape to be made, comprising a plurality o i batteries of former shapes, each imttery having; a plurality of formers a tin-met contact member having a plurality oi contact points means for bringing any one of the formers in alignment Witha eoniat't point. and means tor bringing any one ot tho contact points into engagement with the aligned former.

Al; B E'R'l E. MAYNARD. 

